•Erosion is ubiquitous enemy in South East

•Residents of many communities live in apprehension

By Anayo Okoli, Vincent Ujumadu, Steve Oko, Nwabueze Okonkwo & Chinonso Alozie

MANY communities across the South East region of Abia, Anambra, Ebonyi, Enugu and Imo States, have been in agony over massive destructions being done on their properties, including houses, public infrastructures and farm lands by erosion. There is hardly any community in the South East that does not suffer erosion problem.

Anambra, heavily affected, houses, roads in ruins

In Anambra State, for instance, there are over 1000 erosion sites and residents of many communities have had to abandon their homes and relocate to neigbouring communities for safety. Recently, a devastating erosion cut off one lane of the Onitsha-Owerri expressway at Oba, Idemili South council area, and since the incident happened in July, 2023, it has been a nightmare for the road users. Not far from the Oba site, at Ozubulu in Ekwusigo council, is another landslide of  gully erosion. The popular Rogeny Games Village and the multi-million naira First Choice Plastics Ltd located in Oba are under serious erosion threat.

The Senator representing Anambra Central zone, Chief Victor Umeh, after visiting the erosion sites, tabled the matter in the Senate session under matters of urgent national importance.

Lamenting the plight of people of the South East, Umeh said: “There is no guarantee that the other lane on the Onitsha-Owerri road will survive the pressure. Many  factories and houses are already collapsing and people working in those companies will suddenly lose their jobs unless emergency work  is done.

“This is a major gateway to the Eastern part of Nigeria. The second Niger Bridge is not far from here and all the vehicles coming from the Western part of the country into the South-East and South-South states pass through this road. This is why urgent action is needed.

“Almost every community in the state is threatened by erosion. The South-East is small in size and, regrettably, we are losing even the small land we have to erosion”.

Chief Rommy Ezeonwuka, whose Rojenny Stadium and Games Village, Oba, is seriously being threatened, appears to be helpless as the menace is seriously encroaching into the multimillion naira property.

“The Rogeny Stadium, which was built for the development of youths in Nigeria, is being destroyed by flood. This property, which is worth over N200 million has been ruined because floodwater from the entire vicinity now empty into the stadium”.

At the Agulu-Nanka axis which used to be a sing song for erosion and had attracted both national and international visitors, the people say they have become tired of talking, as nothing serious is being done to ameliorate the situation. However, the state government is tackling few of the erosion menace, such as the one along the Alor-Nnobi road, which recently severed the major road.

Tales of woes as erosion ravages Abia communities

In Abia State, it has been tales of agony in many communities as   gully erosion continues to ravage them. Abia, according to statistics, has over 3000 active erosion sites with majority of them domiciled in Abia North and Central particularly Isuikwuato, Umunneochi,  Bende and Umuahia.

Amamba Uzuakoli Autonomous Community in Bende council area is presently battling the existential threat from the menace. A recent torrential rain caused the collapse of a two storey building there; another two-storey building caved in at the peak of rainy season in 2022. A fearful major erosion site known as Uzoamaewu erosion site has developed in the community.

President General of the Community, Elder Chilasa Kanu, said that the danger which started about four years ago had defied every communal effort to checkmate it. According to him, five houses, including three bungalows and two 2-storey buildings had been claimed by the menace with several others  under severe threat. Occupants of about 15 houses in the community have also evacuated, living as refugees with their relations in neighbouring communities.

“This erosion started about four years ago, and the community has done everything humanly possible to checkmate it. We have spent  over N40 million with the collaborative efforts of our sons and daughters in the Diaspora but up till now, there is no hope yet.

“All the pleas we made to the previous administration under Governor Okezie Ikpeazu yielded no result. No intervention whatsoever has come to us either from the federal or state government. Last year, the governor sent his deputy who came here and told us that erosion control is the job of the federal government, and he left.

“Our House of Representatives member, Rt. Hon Ben Kalu who is now the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives also visited but did nothing. Senator Orji Uzor Kalu also came, saw it, and did nothing. Since then, no intervention has come from anybody and the menace is getting worse”, the President General lamented.

Known for cassava and corn producing community, Uzuakoli people no longer go to farm on account of the condition of the erosion ravaged roads.

“We no longer go to farms because our farm roads have been cut off by erosion. Besides, the erosion has rendered many families homeless. Maybe by the end of this rainy season the entire community may look for a place to go”, Kanu said and passionately appealed to Governor Alex Otti to quickly come to their aid to save them from further pains.

Among other communities where gully erosion is very active in Abia include Oro-Iberenta Autonomous Community in Ikwuano council area. Several buildings in the community, including a popular Pentecostal Church are under  severe threat of being caved into the rampaging gully erosion that has almost cut off  some villages from the kits and kin.

Iberenta Ikwuano, also an agrarian community, is a major cocoa and cassava producing area in Abia State, and also famous in palm oil production.

Conducting newsmen around one of the devastating erosion sites in the community, the traditional ruler, Dr. Stanley Ijenwa, said the menace of erosion has made life unbearable for his subjects. Eze Ijenwa said two villages, Oboro and Nkalunta, as well as Iberenta Community Primary School have almost been cut off from the community and cried out to the federal  and Abia State Government to urgently come to the rescue of the community to avoid looming disaster.

“We have seen hell because of gully erosion, and we can no longer control  it. Some government officials have been here in the past but after visiting us, they never did anything. We are begging Governor Alex Otti and the federal government to please save us from this pending disaster. We have serious ecological challenge that demands urgent intervention”, the monarch cried out.

A stakeholder in the community, Pascal Atuma, described the situation as very worrisome. Decrying the ripple effects of erosion menace and bad road on the community, the film actor regretted that public health workers and teachers reject postings to the community due to the deplorable condition of the roads to the area.

“Since 51 years ago when I was born, my community has been under threat of erosion. If you hear that Abia produces cocoa, this is where it comes  from. We also produce cassava and palm oil in large quantities, yet our road is a complete mess.

“If  it rains, you can’t access here for two days. Five persons perished in a road accident when their vehicle fell into the valley there. Teachers and health workers reject postings to the community due to bad road, and it has serious implications on our people. On our own, we have done our best with the support of our people in the Diaspora. We are now  overwhelmed. This is ecological disaster”, Atuma lamented.

Even within Umuahia the state capital, gully erosion is also very active in communities like Olokoro, Ibeku and Old Umuahia where many buildings are under threat. Recently, Mrs. Chigozie Francis, 35, cried out to Governor Alex Otti for his urgent intervention as her family house is at the verge of collapsing.

The house, a three-bedroom bungalow located at Umuagu Ibeku, adjacent to the State Criminal Investigative Department, CID, Uzuakoli Road, is about to be swallowed up by a dangerous gully erosion that developed in the area about two years ago.

Meanwhile, the member representing Bende North state constituency in the Abia State House of Assembly, Hon. Nnamdi Ibekwe, has called for a declaration of state of emergency on erosion menace ravaging the constituency. He  spoke on the heels of the latest erosion incident that rendered many locals homeless at Umuenyere, Alayi Community in Bende Local Government Area. He said that over five houses were washed away.

“Many people now live as refugees in their ancestral community”, the lawmaker lamented and disclosed that there are over 100 active erosion sites in the constituency alone with about 20 posing existential threat to the people. He identified Umuenyere Alayi, Oluibina Igbere, Ezi Igbere, Amekpu Item and Okafia communities as worst affected.

“Over five houses have been destroyed, farmlands and crops seriously affected; many people can no longer farm because their farm lands have been seriously ravaged. It is an emergency situation because when people can no longer access their homes built with their life savings, it is a disaster”, he said, and called on the National Emergency Management Agency, NEMA, and its state counterpart to intervene.

UNDP intervenes on Anambra erosion menace

Amidst serious concern, the United Nations Development Programme, UNDP, delegation has toured some active erosion sites in the state where they promised to intervene and provide some remedies.

The team, accompanied on the tour by the Commissioner for Environment, Dr. Felix Odimegwu and other senior members of the ministry, visited sites at College of Nursing Science, Nkpor-Umuoji, Nnobi-Umuoji, Akuzor Nkpor-Agu and Umuezena village and Obeleagu village Umudim Nnewi. The Commissioner restated the existence of 1000 active erosion sites in over 160 communities out of the 181 communities in the state.

According to the Commissioner, over 40% of Anambra land mass is threatened by erosion menace, including farmlands and properties and expressed the state government’s commitment to continue to forge partnerships with relevant organizations in order to attract foreign support to help tackle the enormous environmental challenges facing the state.

Anambra State UNDP focal person, Chinwetalu Okosi assured that the problem would be looked into as soon as possible and pledged UNDP’s commitment to fighting climate change related issues in the state. She however called for attitudinal change towards the environment.

FG to visit erosion sites in Imo- Senator Izunaso

Imo state communities are not left out as many of them are also on the verge of being sacked by erosion. Communities in Ideato area are worse hit. However, a ray of hope was raised for them last week by Senator Osita Izunaso when he hinted that the Federal Government would visit the rampaging erosion sites in the state and provide succour for the communities.

The Senator who represents Imo West at the National Assembly  said: “In fact, the Federal Government was ready for the past two weeks to come and do NEEDS assessments on the erosion issue; they are waiting for the communities to connect with them. As it is now, I have connected them. They will be here in one week or two weeks to do a NEEDS assessment of the erosion sites in the area; so that it can properly be factored into the budget of 2024”, the senator said.